Posts tagged Medicine
Mesothelioma Cancer and Alternative Medicine
Nov 25th
Mesothelioma cancer is a rare form of the disease in which cancerous cells develop in the pleura, peritoneum, or pericardium – the linings of the chest, abdomen, and area around the heart. This form of cancer is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. Peritoneal mesothelioma
cancer makes up a fifth to a third of cases that are diagnosed. Symptoms of this type of mesothelioma include weight loss and swelling and pain in the abdomen due to fluid buildup. Sufferers of other types of mesothelioma may develop chest wall pain; fluid around the lungs; anemia, shortness of breath, or symptoms of anemia; a cough or tendency to wheeze, and may cough up blood. In severe cases, tumors can form in the lungs or abdominal cavity, causing the lungs to collapse.
While only a short period of asbestos exposure, as little as a month or two, is required for this cancer to occur, it can take a long time for symptoms to show up. People who were exposed as long ago as the 1940s are only now being diagnosed, because mesothelioma cancer has a long latency period. If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, the prognosis will vary according to how early it was discovered. Research in alternative medicine and conventional therapies to treat this disease continues. Conventional drugs which are used to combat mesothelioma cancer include Alimta and other chemotherapy drugs, surgery to remove tumors, and radiation therapy.
In addition to these treatments, a number of therapies from alternative medicine may be able to reduce symptoms of mesothelioma. Called complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, this diverse group of medical and health care options and practices aren’t considered to be a part of mainstream medical practice. However, that doesn’t mean that they’re ineffective. Some health care providers practice both CAM and conventional medicine, and combine the two with good results. This is referred to as integrative medicine. As much as thirty-six percent of America’s adult population are using some form of CAM. This rises to more than sixty percent if prayer and megavitamin therapy are included in the definition of alternative and complementary practices. Rates of alternative therapy use are highest among patients with serious illnesses such as mesothelioma cancer.
Some treatments offered by alternative medicine include acupuncture to relieve pain following surgery for tumor removal, ginger to treat the nausea and vomiting that chemotherapy causes, massage to treat pain from all kinds of cancers, and combining mistletoe extract with chemotherapy to treat tumors. Immunotherapy, also called biological therapy, is also becoming more common. In this therapy, substances called biological response modifiers are used to improve the immune system’s ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells, as well as to fight off other diseases.
Photodynamic therapy uses a drug that sensitizes tissues to light, then destroys cancerous cells by exposing them to a laser set to a specific frequency. Gene therapy is a new, but advancing field which treats potentially fatal diseases by modifying an individual’s genes therapeutically. Herbal medicines, traditional practices from countries such as China and Japan, and spiritual treatments are also used in CAM. Not all of these therapies have the ability to affect mesothelioma directly, and their effects will tend to vary by patient. However, they can be a big help in managing symptoms and side effects while using conventional treatments.
Those who are interested in using complementary or alternative medicine in their cancer treatment should ask their health care providers. It’s important to get the answers to a few questions when considering any therapy, whether alternative or conventional. Information such as the expected benefits of the therapy versus the risks, the potential side effects, and, in the case of alternative or complementary treatments, whether the therapy will interfere with treatments you’re already undergoing are helpful. If the therapy is part of a clinical trial, find out who the sponsor is. Many alternative therapies aren’t covered fully by health insurance. Some aren’t covered at all. It’s important to find out before beginning a CAM therapy whether or not your insurance will pay for it. A good place to start finding out about your options is the NCCAM website at http://nccam.nih.gov. From there, you’ll be able to get the information to decide what therapies, both conventional and alternative, are right for you.
From personal research Nelson provides an online research tool for cancer patients; with an emphasis on Mesothelioma cancer. By visiting http://mesotheliomaplus.com/ you will find resources to specialized cancer centers, doctors and a Mesothelioma attorneys directory for legal consideration.
Cancer Remedies: If Medicine Can’t Help Are There Any Natural Cancer Treatments?
Nov 24th
It is devastating for someone to be told that medicine has run out of options and there is no more treatment that can be offered. Some patients adapt to what they consider the inevitable. However some people fight tooth and nail to have a longer period of time before they die. They want to explore every option. Is this realistic? Are there any cancer remedies or natural cancer treatments that have been shown to work?
The official medical answer to that is, no, or medicine would be using them. However it has to be acknowledged that there are some people who, despite their medical prognosis, do much better than expected, and most medical people have no idea why that is. Much research has been done but few doctors know of it and even fewer believe that it is their role to tell patients about it.
I was talking to a medical professor about the research which showed that cancer patients who exercised did much better, on average than those who didn’t exercise and about other research which showed that psychological stresses lead to reduced immune function. He knew the research existed, but did not believe it was his role to tell people how to live their lives and so was very vague about the results.
When asked whether a woman with breast cancer would want to know that if she undertook three hours of moderate exercise a week she might cut the chance of future cancer problems in half, he just shrugged his shoulders. It was the same when asked if someone with high blood pressure might like to know that good social support helps regulate their cardiovascular system. He made some comment about such research coming up in the year 3 medical curriculum but there was no emphasis on it thereafter. It wasn’t his role to go into the psychosocial mire of people’s lives.
It was similar when we talked about diet. When presented with evidence that some foods can reduce the damage done by sunlight (hence a skin cancer preventive), other foods which reduced the chance of mutation damage, nutrients which helped the body attack the cancer cells, he drew himself up to his full height and said, “I very much doubt it.” He turned away.
What is really sad is that this doctor is one who believes he is open to research, open to alternatives and there to meet the needs of his patients.
To be fair, there is a huge amount of research out there. It is impossible for one person to stay up to date in regards to every aspect of medicine. This is even more difficult for the family physician or general practitioner who must cover all disciplines. Most of them make do with the guidelines given to them by governments and drug companies.
There is also the huge impact of the pharmaceutical companies who provide instant answers to dealing with the patient in the consultation. If the patient can leave the surgery with a prescription, in very many cases, both practitioner and patient are happy.
A great many when faced with matters of severe illness need to trust their doctor and just accept what they are told. However there are a group who remember the few that do much better than expected and the cases of miracles they hear about in their religious tradition and on the TV. Many of these want to know, in detail, everything possible which might improve their outcomes. Sadly few medical professionals can tell them.
But now with the internet and the huge amount of information online it is possible for people who need to know to find out what they can do to improve their chances of recovery. I do offer a word of warning. It is not likely that there is just one herb, or highland berry, or magical elixir which will make the difference in terminal disease. It is much more likely that your cancer remedy will be a mixture of a healing diet, exercise, good self care, a useful psychology, social support and a connection to nature and place.
The fact that some people do much better than expected indicates that there is a physiological process by which cancers can regress and sometimes disappear altogether. So do keep hope alive and in the meantime explore what improves your quality of life. As one of the survivors in my research said, “Quality, quality, make every second count.”
Dr Harriet Denz-Penhey is an internationally recognized health researcher who has done groundbreaking research into patient self care in serious illness. The web site http://www.cancerremedies.org discusses aspects of natural cancer treatment and remedies for good general health.
Cancer Remedies: If Medicine Can’t Help Are There Any Natural Cancer Treatments?
Nov 24th
It is devastating for someone to be told that medicine has run out of options and there is no more treatment that can be offered. Some patients adapt to what they consider the inevitable. However some people fight tooth and nail to have a longer period of time before they die. They want to explore every option. Is this realistic? Are there any cancer remedies or natural cancer treatments that have been shown to work?
The official medical answer to that is, no, or medicine would be using them. However it has to be acknowledged that there are some people who, despite their medical prognosis, do much better than expected, and most medical people have no idea why that is. Much research has been done but few doctors know of it and even fewer believe that it is their role to tell patients about it.
I was talking to a medical professor about the research which showed that cancer patients who exercised did much better, on average than those who didn’t exercise and about other research which showed that psychological stresses lead to reduced immune function. He knew the research existed, but did not believe it was his role to tell people how to live their lives and so was very vague about the results.
When asked whether a woman with breast cancer would want to know that if she undertook three hours of moderate exercise a week she might cut the chance of future cancer problems in half, he just shrugged his shoulders. It was the same when asked if someone with high blood pressure might like to know that good social support helps regulate their cardiovascular system. He made some comment about such research coming up in the year 3 medical curriculum but there was no emphasis on it thereafter. It wasn’t his role to go into the psychosocial mire of people’s lives.
It was similar when we talked about diet. When presented with evidence that some foods can reduce the damage done by sunlight (hence a skin cancer preventive), other foods which reduced the chance of mutation damage, nutrients which helped the body attack the cancer cells, he drew himself up to his full height and said, “I very much doubt it.” He turned away.
What is really sad is that this doctor is one who believes he is open to research, open to alternatives and there to meet the needs of his patients.
To be fair, there is a huge amount of research out there. It is impossible for one person to stay up to date in regards to every aspect of medicine. This is even more difficult for the family physician or general practitioner who must cover all disciplines. Most of them make do with the guidelines given to them by governments and drug companies.
There is also the huge impact of the pharmaceutical companies who provide instant answers to dealing with the patient in the consultation. If the patient can leave the surgery with a prescription, in very many cases, both practitioner and patient are happy.
A great many when faced with matters of severe illness need to trust their doctor and just accept what they are told. However there are a group who remember the few that do much better than expected and the cases of miracles they hear about in their religious tradition and on the TV. Many of these want to know, in detail, everything possible which might improve their outcomes. Sadly few medical professionals can tell them.
But now with the internet and the huge amount of information online it is possible for people who need to know to find out what they can do to improve their chances of recovery. I do offer a word of warning. It is not likely that there is just one herb, or highland berry, or magical elixir which will make the difference in terminal disease. It is much more likely that your cancer remedy will be a mixture of a healing diet, exercise, good self care, a useful psychology, social support and a connection to nature and place.
The fact that some people do much better than expected indicates that there is a physiological process by which cancers can regress and sometimes disappear altogether. So do keep hope alive and in the meantime explore what improves your quality of life. As one of the survivors in my research said, “Quality, quality, make every second count.”
Dr Harriet Denz-Penhey is an internationally recognized health researcher who has done groundbreaking research into patient self care in serious illness. The web site http://www.cancerremedies.org discusses aspects of natural cancer treatment and remedies for good general health.
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